


Let's Lay Low

by maybe_we_were



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Affectionate Steve, Bruce & Natasha Friendship, F/M, Flirting, Happy Natasha, Motorcycle Rides, One Shot, Smart JARVIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:58:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3780766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybe_we_were/pseuds/maybe_we_were
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve wants to get out of the city for a bit and asks Natasha if she wants to join him.  Bruce is surprised, JARVIS approves, and Natasha accepts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Lay Low

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Sunday everyone! I've been on a major Steve/Nat kick, so I decided to keep going with it! We see Steve on his bike once or twice, but I also thought that at some point, I'm sure he doesn't want to go alone. The Bruce/Nat friendship was kind of random, but I actually really like it. 
> 
> Of course, all rights go to Stan Lee/Marvel for these lovely characters.

Steve goes out on his motorcycle _a lot._

This is something Natasha has noted over the few months that everyone has been in Stark Tower.  She likes watching him because she finds his reaction interesting.  For instance, when Clint compliments him on his fighting technique, he stands taller.  When Tony makes a crude joke, he blushes.  When she “accidentally” runs a hand over his shoulders, he blushes harder.  She especially likes the way he gets along with Thor.  Their excitement at finding something new is _adorable._   The way he interacts is so unique and unlike what she’s seen before.  Then again, he is a man not from this time, so that might have something to do with it.

She’s also noticed that he goes out on his bike a lot more when he is feeling frustrated or upset.  Not that he says anything, or really shows it, for that matter, but she’s been trained to read body language down to the tiniest shift, so of course she knows.

He frequently goes out on days like today, too.  The sun is shining, there’s a warm breeze, and there aren’t too many cars on the road due to people walking.

She and Bruce are in the kitchen drinking tea, both content to be in each other’s presence.  Natasha’s finishing a crossword from part of the newspaper that Bruce is reading when Steve walks in. 

She looks up as he nods to acknowledge Bruce’s eyes over the top of the newspaper, before setting his gaze on her.  Instead of looking back at him, she takes her time soaking in the sight of him.  The blue shirt he has on accentuates his eyes and the jeans he’s wearing fit his muscular thighs well.  There’s a faint outline where his wallet is in his pocket, and he’s got keys in his hands. 

“Nat,” he says, moving her focus from his hands to his mouth.

“Steve,” she replies, placing her cup of tea back on the table.

“I…umm…I’m going to get my bike out and go for a ride.  Would you like to come with me?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Bruce’s eyebrows raise and his jaw go slack.  She has to admit, it throws her off a little, too, which is saying a lot.  Normally, (or as far as she’s seen), he goes out on his bike alone.  The motorcycle is a form of freedom, but is also a part of his past.  So for him to share that with her must mean _something._  

Her moment of hesitation must look like a rejection, because Steve’s eyes start scanning the floor.

“I’d really like that, let me grab my boots.”  It makes her happy to see a light flush cover his face, before she trots down the hallway to retrieve and put on her boots and grab some money. 

She returns to the kitchen where Steve and Bruce are chatting about the weather.  Standing next to the counter, she hears Bruce say, “Have fun,” before waving the two of them off.

They walk to the elevator and Natasha can feel Steve’s hand resting on the small of her back.  They step into the elevator and ask JARVIS to take them down to the garage. 

“Yes, Captain,” comes his reply, British accent impeccable. “Should I inform any callers that you and Agent Romanoff are unavailable?”

She _swears_ she can hear the suggestion (and hint of approval?) in JARVIS’s tone.  Then again, he _is_ a very intelligent system…

Steve answers without hesitation. “Yes, please, for the rest of the day,”   

She certainly doesn’t mind his response.  Getting off the grid for a while is exactly what she needs and having Steve in her company, leading the way, is a bonus. They stand in relative silence until she realizes she does have a question.

“Where are we going?”

He lifts his shoulders in a shrug. 

“I’d like to get out of the city, maybe find some open roads.  Have you been to Pennsylvania?”

She’s been _through_ Pennsylvania, but has never stopped there.  She shakes her head no. 

He gives her a small smile and a nod as the elevator doors open.  As they walk out, Steve’s hand reappears on the small of her back and it makes her heart beat just a tad bit harder.  He directs her to the classic motorcycle a few feet away before turning towards her. 

“Helmet?” he asks, and although she knows he’d _really_ like her to wear one, for her safety, she wants to be able to get the full experience of being on the bike. 

Just to make him happy, she says, “Let me try one on.”

He gives her this _look_ , because she’s sure deep down he already knows she won’t end up using it, but grabs the blue one sitting on the shelf.  She reaches for it and pulls it down on her head.  It’s a little loose and she’s not really sure how this type of helmet works.  It must show on her face, because he chuckles before explaining it to her. 

“You can flip the visor up, if you’d prefer that,” which he demonstrates before pushing it back in to place. 

“How did you do that?” her voice muffled as she motions the flipping gesture with her hand. 

His hand moves over and captures her wrist, moving it so her fingers are on the visor.

“Like this.”  His fingers cover hers and in tandem, they flip it up.  He lets them linger there for a few extra seconds before letting his hand fall back down to his side. 

“So?” he prompts.

“Not my style,” she smirks, pulling the helmet off her head. 

He sighs in fake exasperation and places it back on the shelf.  She watches as he presses the garage door opener and swings his leg over the bike before moving the kickstand.  He turns and pats the spot behind him.

“If you place your right foot on the foot peg, you can swing your left leg over.”

She grips his shoulder and follows his directions, gracefully settling on the seat.  Once she’s there, she realizes just _how_ close they are.  Her legs outline his, her chest presses against his back, and her face is so close to his neck that she can see the goosebumps that rose from her breath hitting it. 

She straightens out a little, and immediately dismisses her regret from doing so.  Meanwhile, Steve’s got one hand on the handlebar and the other resting on her left knee.  She assumes he is waiting to make sure she feels stable, but she’s not sure.

“Are you ok?” he murmurs, his head turned back towards hers as much as it can.

“Mhmm.”  She thinks it’s actually kind of sweet, the way he’s always looking out for her.  Not that she’d tell him that.

He turns the engine on and it purrs underneath them.  They pull out of the garage and make their way through the city at a slow pace. 

Natasha’s not particularly used to being on a bike, let alone with someone else, so it feels like her legs are clenched around Steve’s.  Her hands are lightly touching his sides, and she can feel the hard muscle under his shirt.  It doesn’t seem like he minds, though he asks her how she’s feeling at one point. 

At a few stop signs, he leans back a little and places a hand on one of her knees while spouting off the things that have changed or things he’d like to visit.  This changes once they get out of the city where the wind and the way Steve’s head is turned makes it hard for her to hear him. 

“Put your arms around me,” Steve says, in a loud voice.    

She does without question, and Steve settles one of his hands over her clasped ones for a minute.

It’s funny, because everyone thinks Steve is shy, when he’s typically very affectionate with Natasha.  She likes that he’s not afraid to touch her, whether it’s to comfort her, patch her up, or simply because he feels like doing so.  And hearing him voice it is kind of…sexy. 

His hand returns to the handlebar and she feels the bike starting to pick up speed.  She’s not sure how fast they are going, but she doesn’t really care.  It’s nice to feel the wind blow through her auburn locks and enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the countryside. 

Steve seems completely relaxed, too.  She can see why he goes out so often. 

They spend quite a bit of time roaming the area before they end up stopping.  There’s a small deli in town that seems perfect to grab food and drinks (which Steve absolutely _insists_ on paying for).  They talk about Sam and his new girlfriend, the one from the desk at the V.A., as well as Steve’s art classes and Natasha’s newest book. 

“About ready to head back to the city?” he asking, standing up and throwing their garbage in a nearby trashcan. 

“Do we have to?” she pouts.

He tries to hold back his laughter, but fails miserably. 

“We better, it’ll take us some time to get there.” 

He grabs her hand, leading her over to the motorcycle before getting on and helping her.  The ride back is just as fun as the drive out was, and she’s sad that the time went by so quickly.  After they pull into the garage, Steve shuts off the engine and helps her get off, then begins doing some after use maintenance.    

While she waits for him, she wonders if he enjoyed today as much as she did.  She saw him smiling a lot and his body language conveyed that he was pretty relaxed.  She noticed how his eyes lit up as they talked during lunch.

He finishes up while she is thinking about all of this and, before she realizes, he’s next to her, tugging on the front pocket of her jeans to steer her towards the elevator.  The doors slide open right away and they step on together.  Natasha looks over and takes in Steve’s slightly tousled hair and bright eyes.  His lips curl up in a smile, a genuine, full one, and Natasha _loves_ it. 

The elevator dings as it opens on the communal floor, breaking the moment they were having.  They’re nearing their respective rooms, and she hesitates because there’s a lot she _wants_ to say, but it’s hard to put it into words. 

Instead, she stops and, looking into his eyes, says a simple, “Thank you.”

He nods, and she knows he understands what she is trying to say, but can’t.  After giving Steve a soft smile, she turns towards her door. 

Suddenly, there’s the feeling of warm fingers on her arm, pulling her back in the opposite direction.  She ends up right in front of Steve, close enough that she can feel some of the warmth he generates.  Green eyes look up into blue ones.

“I had a lot of fun today.  I’d love it if we could do that again sometime,” Steve says earnestly.

 “It’s a date,” the words popping out of her mouth instantly.

She leans up and places a quick but firm kiss on his lips and leaves him in the hallway looking shell-shocked and blushing.

“Definitely,” she hears him say as the door closes.   


End file.
